Wednesday, November 16, 2011

How to "cheat" this Thaksgiving, without all the guilt

Thanksgiving is just around the corner. We all know what that means... rolls, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and lest we forget...pie

I, like all of you, want to enjoy this holiday spent with friends and family, without feeling awful the next day, or gaining 10 pounds in one meal. I am going to let you in on a little secret. It is possible to enjoy your holiday meal and keep your slim figure!

It's going to take a bit of work, but trust me, it's worth it.

As I have mentioned earlier, our bodies handle carbs (the kind that come from rolls, stuffing and even pie crust) and starches (such as mashed and sweet potatoes) much better right after a good workout.

What does this mean for you on Thanksgiving? You now have even more motivation to workout while the turkey is still in the oven!

It's simple, do a good 20-30 min workout, a few minutes to 3 hours before dinner, and have some yummy rolls without all the day after bloat and guilt attached. Now remember, gorging yourself is not healthy at any time, so keep your portions reasonable, and stop eating when you feel 80% full, but overall, just enjoy!

Here are a couple of other tricks to help you have a healthy, and delicious Thanksgiving.

*Enjoy your sweet potatoes, not only are sweet potatoes delicious (even without the marshmallows and sugar added) but they are packed with vitamins and anti-oxidants! Eating sweet potatoes in place on your standard white/mashed potatoes will save you on some unnecessary starch and give you a good vitamin boost!

*Make wheat, or whole grain rolls. This way you will get way more bang for your buck as far a whole grains and nutritional benefit than with your standard white bleached rolls.

*Try to eat fruit or pumpkin pie as they are going to have more vitamins and a bit less fat than a cream pie.

*When making your Thanksgiving plate, fill it first with the healthier options (white turkey meat with cranberry sauce, steamed vegetable medley, salad, etc...) once you have loaded up on these then you can add the less healthy options, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls and what not. Once you start eating, eat the healthier foods first, leaving less room in your tummy for those other options.

I know this feels like a lot of rules for you to follow, but it's actually pretty simple, and trust me, you will thank me later.

Tomorrow I will post a perfect, "no time to workout" workout for you to do on Thanksgiving.

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About Me

My name is Alaina Wood and I am an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer, certified yoga instructor, life coach, and the owner of Alaina Wood Fitness. I have a passion for health and fitness, as well as helping others to reach and maintain their wellness and lifestyle goals. I offer a comprehensive exercise and nutrition program. I am qualified to work with all demographics, ranging from the highly trained athlete, to the fitness novice interested in improving their overall health.